Interview: Stars – Embrace Whatever Happens

We’d be lying if we said the interview with Canadian outfit Stars went to plan. We found ourselves discussing life, children, Apple and their previous album far more than their current album and Australian tour dates, but there’s no way you can plan for an interview to be this interesting.

For 10 years, Stars have been rulers of the indie pop world and for 10 years have demanded and received the respect of not just fans but peers and media alike. The popularity is yet to diminish and the group have once more found themselves on a worldwide tour, kicking off here in Australia. That has its pros and cons for the musicians, who can’t help but worry for their families and children back home.

Though the band released The North just last year, we spoke more about the previous record, 2011’s The Five Ghosts. Stars have a lot to say about this record, given the hurdles overcome simply to finish it off. Life got in the way of the album but the band couldn’t let it go – it’s the album they had to finish. Just prior to the tour, the band released two EPs a live release featuring bands they had toured with as well as a remix release from The North. The pair got talking about the need to constantly release new material, which then led to one of the greatest anti-Apple rants of all time.